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vienna to paris

hi all
we are new to the forum and are looking at 3 weeks to travel from vienna to paris thru swizerland in july 2013. probably all travel will be by train. we are an active 50s couple and interested in the scenic travel and sightseeing. we are looking to miss italy this time, but could we go travel thru northern italy to nice after switzerland and end in paris? any advise on an itinarary welcome

While I would not recommend adding more countries than what you are starting with: Austria, Switzerland, and France, if you have to go to Italy, why after Switzerland? Look at the map. Switzerland is one the way to Paris from Italy. Italy is NOT on the way to Paris from Switzerland. The travel between Switzerland and Italy is ok, but not that fast. The travel from anywhere Italy, perhaps with exception of small towns near the French border, to Nice is very slow.

Look at the train schedule to see what you are up against at http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query2.exe/en. Use October dates since the schedule for July 2013 will not be posted until spring for Italy. The train schedules do not change much throughout the year.

Most trains in Switzerland, with exception for the ones that connect the eastern and the middle big cities, are scenic. Zurich-Bern-Lausanne route has scenic part once you get near Lausanne. More scenic routes are in the mountain area in the southern half: Luzern, Interlaken, Berner Oberland, etc. Vienna to Zurich is more than 8hrs by train. You might want to fly this section on a budget airline.